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Real talk, ladies & gentleman. Use. A. Scale. This is one of those many times I will die on this hill. Cooking & baking is a science. Cooking has some more wiggle room, but baking is a complete science project, every time. If your formula for whatever recipe you are baking is even a small percentage point off, you might just get completely different results.
The problem is, the majority of cookbooks out there & recipes you find online are more than 90% of the time measured in cups. Do you happen to have a few different brands of measuring cups of the same “exact size” and go to bake with them? Most cases, they do not hold the same volume or weight (as much as these brands seem to want us to think they do). Do not believe them.
You want to know what works, every time? I’ll repeat, use a scale. A digital one is preferable. I bought this handy one pictured from Costco because what Chef doesn’t like Costco (it doesn’t look like they carry it anymore y’all but trust me any digital scale should do). Now, you can go really old school and use a manual kitchen scale but why would you unless you ran out of batteries or live in the old country and technology is not your thing? If that’s your thing, no hate here, I just like to make my life easier whenever possible.
The truth is using a digital scale will make your life ten million times easier. You ever go to make a “no fail recipe” that you have made a million times before (or maybe it’s even your first time) and it just doesn’t turn out? With a scale, your measurements will be accurate every time. I do have the caveat that I only use a digital scale for anything that is bigger than an ounce. Anything that I might use a small amount of like baking soda, baking powder, salt, spices, etc, I will stick with my measuring spoons. Try to get a “standard” size measuring spoon set for this case. I know some of those ceramic measuring spoons that people like to display and use are adorable and trust me, if my tiny kitchen had more space, I would display some of those too. Most cases those cutesy, decorative ones aren’t very accurate. I have linked a similar scale to the one I have here:
Quality Digital Scale
Lastly, I know it might be a pain in the rear when you go to make a recipe that only uses cup measures and I’m telling you to use a scale. That first time you make that recipe, you won’t know if it’s going to be a slam dunk recipe or not. Print that baby out (or make a copy of it on your smart device to make notes onto, let’s be eco consious) and as you prepare the ingredients, write down their weights as you go. You will not regret it the next time you go to make that possible amazing recipe. And furthermore, if you are like me and have to dig in a flour bag for nineteen cups of flour to make a humongous batch of French bread, you KNOW you will lose count after three cups. Sometimes you have to put the work in at the beginning to make your life easier in the end. Life lessons here, everyone. TRUST 🙂
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